My invention relates to a method of and means for constructing a cement block wall without mortar that is adaptable to use with standard precision blocks or the like.
It has been recognized that laying up a cement block wall with mortar in the conventional manner with mortar is expensive in terms of labor expenditure. For purposes of laying walls without mortar or for other purposes a number of non-conventional cement blocks have been proposed such as those set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 312,464, 1,809,508, 2,141,946 2,261,510, 2,963,828, 3,479,782, 3,783,566, and 3,936,987. Such proposals appear to have not been widely used. It is an objective of my invention to avoid the problems common to many of these prior proposals which include (a) lack of adaptability to cement blocks of standard manufacture so that special blocks would have to be manufactured and stocked, (b) difficulties in manufacturing such blocks with present equipment and/or at suitable production rates and at suitable other costs, and (c) fragile exposed special construction features so that the blocks could not be handled or stacked like standard blocks without undue breakage of those exposed parts. Whereas my means and method could be used with blocks specially manufactured for use with my invention or for other purposes, it has been a primary objective of my invention to adapt to blocks of standard manufacture, of which the standard precision block is an example. Another primary objective has been to provide a means and method that will be substantially less costly in terms of labor and materials than the conventional method of laying up cement block walls with mortar.